15 Years of the Polish agricultural biogas plants: their history, current status, biogas potential and perspectives

Biogazownie rolnicze w Polsce

Chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes — epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical consequences

Cukrzycowa choroba nerek (nefropatia cukrzycowa) (DKD) jest częstym powikłaniem cukrzycy typu 2. Jest to także główna przyczyna schyłkowej niewydolności nerek (ESRD) i potrzeby dializoterapii oraz istotny czynnik ryzyka zgonu z przyczyn sercowo-naczyniowych, zarówno w krajach rozwiniętych, jak i rozwijających się. Wraz ze wzrostem zachorowalności na cukrzycę typu 2 coraz częściej można zaobserwować rozwój tego właśnie powikłania, dlatego tak istotne jest poznanie jego mechanizmów oraz konsekwencji klinicznych, by móc je lepiej zrozumieć i skutecznie im przeciwdziałać. (Forum Zaburzeń Metabolicznych 2011, tom 2, nr 3, 192–197)Diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It’s the main cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis treatment and also an important risk factor of fatal cardiovascular events, both in developed and developing countries. The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is connected with an increase in the number of patients with developed diabetic nephropathy, which is why the knowledge of its mechanisms and clinical consequences is crucial for better understanding and counteracting this disease. (Forum Zaburzen Metabolicznych 2011, vol. 2, no 3, 192–197

Gout: an ancient disease still problematic in the XXI century

Dna moczanowa to jedna z najpowszechniejszych chorób reumatycznych na świecie. Poza charakterystycznym dla tej jednostki zapaleniem stawów, istotne są również zmiany dotyczące układu sercowo-naczyniowego oraz nerek. W ostatnich latach obserwuje się coraz więcej zachorowań na dnę, dlatego też wiele uwagi poświęcono na zrozumienie mechanizmów tej choroby oraz odkrycie nowych metod jej leczenia. Obecne metody lecznicze opierające się głównie na kolchicynie oraz niesteroidowych lekach przeciwzapalnych, choć skuteczne, nie zapewniają niestety pełnej kontroli nad rozwojem choroby. Istotna jest właściwa edukacja pacjenta, również w zakresie zmiany jego stylu życia oraz odpowiednie leczenie chorób towarzyszących.Gout is one of the most common rheumatic diseases in the world. Although it’s most often associated with arthritis, it can also affect kidneys and cardiovascular system. An increase in the prevalence of gout has been observed in recent years, which is why much effort was put into understanding the mechanisms behind this disease and to discover new methods of treatment. Present treatment methods include mostly colchicine and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may prove effective, however they do not ensure control over the progress of gout. Proper education of the patient considering his lifestyle as well as adequate treatment of accompanying diseases is crucial

Mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke – Five years of experience in Poland

Objectives Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is not reimbursed by the Polish public health system. We present a description of 5 years of experience with MT in acute stroke in Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) in Poland. Methods and results We retrospectively analyzed the results of a structured questionnaire from 23 out of 25 identified CSCs and 22 data sets that include 61 clinical, radiological and outcome measures. Results Most of the CSCs (74%) were founded at University Hospitals and most (65.2%) work round the clock. In 78.3% of them, the working teams are composed of neurologists and neuro-radiologists. All CSCs perform CT and angio-CT before MT. In total 586 patients were subjected to MT and data from 531 of them were analyzed. Mean time laps from stroke onset to groin puncture was 250±99min. 90.3% of the studied patients had MT within 6h from stroke onset; 59.3% of them were treated with IV rt-PA prior to MT; 15.1% had IA rt-PA during MT and 4.7% – emergent stenting of a large vessel. M1 of MCA was occluded in 47.8% of cases. The Solitaire device was used in 53% of cases. Successful recanalization (TICI2b–TICI3) was achieved in 64.6% of cases and 53.4% of patients did not experience hemorrhagic transformation. Clinical improvement on discharge was noticed in 53.7% of cases, futile recanalization – in 30.7%, mRS of 0–2 – in 31.4% and mRS of 6 in 22% of cases. Conclusion Our results can help harmonize standards for MT in Poland according to international guidelines

Wpływ funkcjonowania poligonu artyleryjskiego na życie Torunia w latach 1867-1939 w świetle lokalnej prasy

Podjęta przez autora problematyka wpływu poligonu artyleryjskiego na życie Torunia jest pionierskim tematem badawczym. Większość naukowców zajmowało się dziejami poligonu bądź jego fauną i florą. Należy jednak pamiętać, że cała infrastruktura poligonu jest silnie wspierana i rozwijana przez pewien motor napędowy, jakim jest miasto Toruń. Plac ćwiczeń to nie tylko hektary piaszczystych wydm i wrzosowisk, ale również niezliczone historie pojedynczych osób, które odczuły wpływ poligonu na ich życie. Autor, badając temat, postanowił określić ramy czasowe między 1867 a 1939 r. Wybrany przedział został tak zdefiniowany z tego względu, że dla tych lat znajduje się najwięcej wzmianek o toruńskim poligonie, zamieszczonych w lokalnej prasie. Głównymi źródłami niniejszego artykułu są dwie miejscowe gazety. Pierwszą z nich jest „Gazeta Toruńska”, która była wydawana w latach 1867-1921, drugą zaś „Słowo Pomorskie” z lat 1921-1939.The author addresses the problem of the influence of the artillery firing range on the life of Toruń, which constitutes a pioneer research work. Most scholars have dealt with the history of the firing range, its fauna and flora. However, it must be remembered that the whole infrastructure of the firing range is strongly supported by the city of Toruń. The military training ground constitutes  not only hectares of sandy dunes and moors, but also numerous histories of individual people who experienced the influence of the firing range on their lives. The author decided to establish the time frameworks between 1867 and 1939 since it was in those years that most records about Toruń’s firing range appeared in the local press. The main sources of this work are two dailies: Gazeta Toruńska, published in the years 1867-1921, and Słowo Pomorskie of 1921-1939.Das vom Autor behandelte Thema, der Einfluss des Artillerieübungsplatzes auf das Leben in Thorn, hat in der Forschung Pioniercharakter. Die meisten Wissenschaftler haben sich mit der Geschichte des Truppenübungsplatzes oder mit seiner Flora und Fauna beschäftigt und darüber geschrieben. Es sei jedoch daran erinnert, dass die gesamte Infrastruktur des Truppenübungsplatzes massiv von einem Antriebsmotor gestützt und entwickelt wird, nämlich der Stadt Thorn. Der Übungsplatz, das sind nicht nur hektarweise Sanddünen und Heideland, sondern auch ungezählte Geschichten einzelner Personen, die den Einfluss des Platzes auf ihr Leben an sich selbst erfahren haben. Der Autor hat bei seinen Forschungen zum Thema den zeitlichen Rahmen auf die Jahre zwischen 1867 und 1939 festgelegt. Das geschah deshalb, weil sich in diesen Jahren die meisten Erwähnungen des Thorner Truppenübungsplatzes in der lokalen Presse finden. Die wichtigsten und entscheidenden Quellen der vorliegenden Arbeit sind zwei örtliche Zeitungen. Die erste davon ist die „Gazeta Toruńska“, die in den Jahren 1867-1921 erschien, die zweite ist „Słowo Pomorskie“ aus den Jahren 1921-1939

Studies on Cement Pastes Exposed to Water and Solutions of Biological Waste

The paper presents studies on the early stages of biological corrosion of ordinary Portland cements (OPC) subjected to the reactive media from the agricultural industry. For ten months, cement pastes of CEM I type with various chemical compositions were exposed to pig slurry, and water was used as a reference. The phase composition and structure of hydrating cement pastes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA/TG/DTG/EGA), and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The mechanical strength of the cement pastes was examined. A 10 to 16% decrease in the mechanical strength of the samples subjected to pig slurry was observed. The results indicated the presence of thaumasite (C3S·CO2·SO3·15H2O) as a biological corrosion product, likely formed by the reaction of cement components with living matter resulting from the presence of bacteria in pig slurry. Apart from thaumasite, portlandite (Ca(OH)2)—the product of hydration—as well as ettringite (C3A·3CaSO4·32H2O) were also observed. The study showed the increase in the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) phase. The occurrence of unreacted phases of cement clinker, i.e., dicalcium silicate (C2S) and tricalcium aluminate (C3A), in the samples was confirmed. The presence of thaumasite phase and the exposure condition-dependent disappearance of CSH phase (calcium silicate hydrate), resulting from the hydration of the cements, were demonstrated

Mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke : five years of experience in Poland

Objectives: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is not reimbursed by the Polish public health system. We present a description of 5 years of experience with MT in acute stroke in Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) in Poland. Methods and results: We retrospectively analyzed the results of a structured questionnaire from 23 out of 25 identified CSCs and 22 data sets that include 61 clinical, radiological and outcome measures. Results: Most of the CSCs (74%) were founded at University Hospitals and most (65.2%) work round the clock. In 78.3% of them, the working teams are composed of neurologists and neuro-radiologists. All CSCs perform CT and angio-CT before MT. In total 586 patients were subjected to MT and data from 531 of them were analyzed. Mean time laps from stroke onset to groin puncture was 250 99 min. 90.3% of the studied patients had MT within 6 h from stroke onset; 59.3% of them were treated with IV rt-PA prior to MT; 15.1% had IA rt-PA during MT and 4.7% - emergent stenting of a large vessel. M1 of MCA was occluded in 47.8% of cases. The Solitaire device was used in 53% of cases. Successful recanalization (TICI2b–TICI3) was achieved in 64.6% of cases and 53.4% of patients did not experience hemorrhagic transformation. Clinical improvement on discharge was noticed in 53.7% of cases, futile recanalization - in 30.7%, mRS of 0–2 - in 31.4% and mRS of 6 in 22% of cases. Conclusion: Our results can help harmonize standards for MT in Poland according to international guideline

Insights into mechanism of anticancer activity of pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids of Uncaria tomentosa by means of a computational reverse virtual screening and molecular docking approach

Alkaloid-rich extract from Uncaria tomentosa (eng. Cat’s claw) has been reported to cause apoptosis in vitro in cancer lines. Oxindole pentacyclic alkaloids of the plant are responsible for this effect, yet their biological mechanism of action is not fully understood. In this work the set of these alkaloids underwent an extensive theoretical study with reverse virtual screening and molecular docking methods implemented in AutoDock, AutoDock Vina and Molegro Virtual Docker. The obtained results from these computational methods indicate that inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase and MDM2 may be responsible for the biological activity of the alkaloids. The docking results also show that alkaloids can interact with Dvl-2, Akt-2 and leukotriene A4 hydrolase. The reverse virtual screening and molecular docking are valuable tools to aid identification of protein targets for bioactive hit molecules and could guide the design of in-depth biochemical activity tests and utilization of these alkaloids in anticancer drug development.Peer reviewe